


Path less traveled

by Shally



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: F/M, HxHBB18, Reincarnation AU, Soulmate AU, a spin on all things
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-30
Updated: 2018-06-30
Packaged: 2019-05-30 23:08:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15106697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shally/pseuds/Shally
Summary: She was the owner of a small bar on the outskirts of a city that no one really knew. She was also one of the towns core protectors, guarding the streets from outsiders and embracing the fact she was a bit of a rebel at heart.He was a handsome traveller, and a collector of games, searching the world with nothing but a bag full of mysteries to his name. That, and the thought that he had to be somewhere, and meet someone, for a reason he just couldn't recall.On a dreary, stormy afternoon, as the traveller enters her bar to escape the rain, he finds himself challenging her to a game.It'll take some time, but star crossed lovers always manage to find their way back together again. Even if that means being in another city...both in slightly different, but very human forms...not able to remember who they were a lifetime ago.Merukumugi reincarnation au.





	Path less traveled

**Author's Note:**

> My hxhbb18 submission! Thank you to my artists who picked this fic and made amazing art!!

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,  
And sorry I could not travel both  
And be one traveler, long I stood  
And looked down one as far as I could  
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,  
And having perhaps the better claim,  
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;  
Though as for that the passing there  
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay  
In leaves no step had trodden black.  
Oh, I kept the first for another day!  
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,  
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh  
Somewhere ages and ages hence:  
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—  
I took the one less traveled by,  
And that has made all the difference.

 

\- Robert Frost 

 

The scatter of birds and the loud clipping of hooves against tough, dry soil rings through the crisp early morning air. A large stallion, wild and forceful, plows through growing saplings, the dark, reddy brown mane of the beast whipping against the short hair of its body. Not many could claim they had seen the mammoth of a horse, with its off colouring that could be comparable to dried blood if the light hit it just right. Muscles protruded from all sides, and it could be believed that perhaps this creature wasn’t a full stallion, but perhaps a combination of magical beasts that had given him his girth and height. 

Well over six feet, it was a force to be reckoned with. Uncontrollable and independent, the forest was its home, and no human, animal, or mix between the two could stop its rampage without getting crushed beneath its earth beaten hooves. 

Except, however, for the rider who owned the beast, who was as every bit as wild. 

The shriek of a whistle, human made, blends with the wind, turning the beast from its course as it begins its mad rush uphill from the thick forest it was left to roam. 

“Come!” A voice says harshly, the shudder of trees rumbling in response. 

The wail of a whinny is the voices answer and the stallion darts sharply to the right where a body lands onto the bare back of the beast from the trees above, grabbing its mane and pointing forward. The horse doesn’t buck, or thrash, or even grunt in distaste. Rather, it darts forward, turning left and right with each nudge of its riders heel in its side. 

The rider, slender and thin framed, has a wool cap pulled over their head, and a long black scarf covering the bottom of their face and trailing after them as the rider and the stallion leap through foliage at a breakneck pace. On the riders back, over top brown cargo pants and a black long sleeve shirt, are weapons strapped to thighs, arms, and down across their back. 

As the horse leaps over a bush of thorns, the rider grabs a bow from their back, and a corresponding arrow, nocks it, before launching it through the forest without a second's hesitation. 

“Five,” is all they say, before a piercing scream dies out only after a moment. 

The neighbouring trees shake and shudder and elongated beasts, some with more mouths then they had limbs, crash to the ground, withering and thrashing as they rush towards the duo. With bodies covered in hard scales, no one was sure what these beasts were, or why they attacked travelers so sporadically, their violence only encouraged by their hunger. 

Glancing at the three new forms, they were beasts too unreasonable to have any sort of human intelligence despite their abstract human shapes. There was no hope left for these creatures. Rehabilitation was tried in the past, to no avail. After losing people constantly to the hoard of beasts that had taken refuge within the forest, their numbers had dwindled significantly. Battle after battle, it seemed only a few beasts roamed free, trying to fight back and dominate the small towns they had been driven out from. 

Leaping off the horse, four more arrows are loaded, and shot simultaneously, killing two and injuring the others. Turning on a dime, the stallion charges towards one of the two creatures left, trampling them into the ground, back legs kicking out in victory of its attack. 

Grabbing a machete from their leg holster, the rider blocks a slash of claws with the metal, before bending forward. Their slice is quick, severing the beast clean in half as it screeches in its deterioration.

Taking a breath, the rider stands straight, reshealthing their weapon. The glint of a gun peeks out from their hip, hidden by the scarf. Precautionary.  

Snapping their fingers, the stallion doubles back in a slow trot, standing taller the figure, making it impossible to return to their spot on its back. With a quick nod to the horse, the stallion bends down its head, front legs buckling slightly so it could be mounted. 

“Thank you, Youpi,” the rider grabs Youpi’s mane, and hoists themselves onto the beast, just as rays of daylight break through the foliage above. The smell of blood, and something acidic, makes its way through their scarf, a pungent smell that was a telltale sign that the corpses were quickly decaying, no longer a threat, other than for the reek of it all. Too long near the stench and the delusions would start, followed by the nausea. It was best to give the corpses a few days to fully decompose. 

Climbing up the tall hill that lead to the outskirts of the town above, the thought of the forest eventually being monster free would be a relief for the inhabitants of neighbouring towns. 

Closing their eyes, the ride back home would almost seem pleasant if it wasn't for the ache of pain radiating through the hunters legs, sore from the run and the constant stress of climbing, leaping, jumping, falling...fighting...god were they sick of the fighting. One beast had swiped them out from hiding through their torso, the ache now throbbing as the threat was gone. 

But too many good men and women had been murdered, and after watching children be eaten alive by these animalistic monsters, there was only so much that could be stomached before action had to be taken.  

“Damnit,” they curse, their body finally collapsing onto the back of the stallion, “I was careless…”

Their fingers move to their scarf, pulling it to their throat, one hand pressed against their stomach. The wool cap is pulled off, and the face of a woman in her mid twenties is revealed. Eyes so light and green that they appeared almost white on first glance. Locks of white blond hair cascade down her back, long and full. Female, the rider was, delicate at first sight but no where near as weak as she gave off. Her body had been littered with scars for a long time, mementos from her many fights with all types of violent beasts. Sometimes, it was men who were her biggest obstacle, her personality too. She had the desire to meet people head on, and couldn’t let her pride be dulled by anyone. She wondered at what point in her life that she became so stubborn and hard headed, but found it to be befitting. 

Perhaps it was also a reflection on the life that she was living, a life where she had to hide what she did at night, riding through the night spilling blood and burying corpses. 

It was exhausting work, and overwhelming. Sometimes she would stumble upon scenes that made her so physically ill that even her stallion Menthuthuyoupi would mirror her discomfort with his own agitation. 

He was a loyal beast, wild and more violent than any she had ever met. And his size was enough to give him a reputation as the demon of the forest because of his dark red hair. She hadn’t managed to tame the beast, seeing how he was violent around any human company. 

Youpi slows his gallop to a lazy trot, breaking through the foliage. He does it for her benefit, sensing the pain she felt. Their bond was more than just something physical; she was not just the human he let own him. Rather, he protected her as she protected him. Villagers in the past had tried to hunt him like game, or break him into being a working horse for their farms. 

She had made sure that never happened. 

At the break between the forest line and where the land became dry and desert like, a dirt road crossed their path. Youpi, having taken this path thousands of times before, knew his way without a guide. Often after fights like they had today, it would be left to Youpi to return the two safely to the tavern that sat no more than a mile away, the only building in a long stretch of land. 

“You didn’t have to bring me all the way here,” the woman says with a heavy sigh, lifting herself up so she could see the wooden walls of the bar that she owned, coming closer as Youpi picked up his pace. 

It was small, to the average onlooker. Although the tavern itself had been renovated time and time again by the woman. In the back of the building she had her stable and her greenhouse, both covered in barb wire to discourage any thieves or wandering creatures. The tavern itself was made from wood, but only from the outside. The insulation was metal that she had found from scrap yards, and from wrecks of cars left abandoned in neighbouring desert towns. She also had access to water and electricity through an underground well that connected to a lagoon in the forest, as well as wires that she had routed towards the main town, after setting up a generator of sorts. She had become quite handy when it came to making things, as if her mind was able to memorize the things she saw to easily that it became a normal sight to see the owner of the tavern consumed in her work in one of her storage houses. 

On the roof of the building was a poorly lit neon sign, Komugi’s Inn & Bar flashing for all to see, especially at night, the letters different fonts and sizes as they were taken from multiple signs and fixed into one. Often villagers would attempt to leave their town and travel across the forest, only to find that the journey was long and tedious. It was why her inn existed. It was a place where people could choose to stay the night, or perhaps humor her for a drink and play one the many games Komugi had brought back to life from their broken states. 

It was interesting, Komugi thought, how so much garbage could be littered in a place so close to NGL, a place that she had never once been too but had heard great stories about.

Years ago, maybe no more then her own age of twenty five, had a disaster struck the land. The elders in her hometown had told her about the great reveal of a war that had been the countries best kept secret until its recent change in political power, allowing technology to become NGL’s newest asset. It was technically how the newest political party had come into power, becoming a force that could rival the officials in cities that Komugi couldn’t imagine existed so far north. She had never been much of a explorer, especially seeing how she had settled her roots so deeply into the desert sands that surrounded her inn that she couldn’t imagine any other place being considered home. 

Living on her own, a decision that she was forced to endure after growing up as a child who belonged to no one and to nothing, had been a test of her endurance. It was also why it was so important for Komugi to claim a place of her own. 

At the age of twelve she had found the old remains of what would become her pride and joy only ten years later. The amount of hard work and labour that had gone into the four walls of her bar had been worth every bruise, scrape, callus, and fight for dominance.

Pressing a hand to Youpi’s short hair, he moves to the back of the inn to hide himself from any onlookers. Komugi preferred that the few who stayed in her inn’s knew nothing about her secret endeavours. She didn’t feel the need to explain herself to anyone, and it was her choice to be as reckless as she wanted. As long as the patrons in her inn paid upfront, she was fine to lend her space out to others. 

The cool morning air was a pleasure against her skin, knowing that blistering heat would replace it once the sun was settled higher in the sky. 

Sliding off the stallion, Komugi grits her teeth as her feet touch ground, a slow pain burning up from her calves to her thigh, a result of her hard landing. Despite how much she worked out or ran, her body was not invincible. It was an inconvenience to be human, but she figured that if the alternative was like the creatures that roamed the local forest killing off people for enjoyment rather than a meal, then she was content with her measly form. 

That was an understatement, most would say. Komugi was no innocent, dainty shopkeep. Her body was toned and hard from her travels. Her arms strong from pulling back bow strings and lifting heavy supplies over her shoulders. She was beautiful in her firmness, her eyes such a clear blue that it was almost a relief to see because it reminded strangers of blue waters that would quench their thirst from the heat known to those who have ever traveled to a small junkyard city called Meteor City. She had never been there, but many from NGL had escaped north through that city, and Komugi figured that her parents must have come from the south because she could not find any trace of them. 

She had never bothered to investigate her past any further than that. It held little interest to her. She was about the now and here. She was happy living her own simple life, even if that life included her night escapades where she would come alive with a new sense of fierceness. It was...as if part of her felt that she owed someone something.

She hated feeling like that. She had spent a good part of her life fighting for the chance to be something more than just a frail girl that people told her she was in her childhood, and now it seemed that she had amounted to something. Even if she was just an owner of a small bar, she felt that what she did was more than enough.   

Her hand clenched into a fist and gently presses against the metal door of the large stable. It's cool against her skin and calms her for a moment. 

“Tonight we will go into town.” She says, “if you would like to accompany me, that is.”

Of course the stallion is eager to go into town. Youpi is a beast that enjoys strutting with flare, and if he were a smaller breed, Komugi is sure that he would have been a great show horse, with power and grace to boot. 

She was lucky to have him. 

Komugi had come to realize that although she liked the villages surrounding her home, and some of the visitors that would take refuge in her bar, she was often alone. She could trust few, and rely on even fewer. She was her own wall of support, which was fine. She figured that perhaps no one would be able to offer what she needed in a listening ear, especially with fear and greed being the largest human disease. She too was victim to them, but tried her best to subdue the emotions that she hated to see overwhelm others. 

It was why she fought and ventured into undesirable situations. 

Leaving Youpi to the stables, Komugi enters the bar from the back, the lights flickering to life as she walks in. The motion detectors would only set off when someone entered, which gave her a warning if she were in her own private quarters. The bar itself was off limits from 3 am to about 11 am, seeing how those were her prime vigilante hours. She would sleep sometime during then as well. Looking at the worn out clock over the door, a vintage piece of technology, the time was a little after 7 am. Far too early for her to even comprehend the turmoils of the day. She was running low on supplies, and the last of her patrons were making their way out of town today to travel through the forest she had fought those monstrous beasts in. At least their travel would be safe. She could rest easy knowing that.  

It takes a moment but the generator that provides electricity to her bar suddenly clicks and a variety of coloured lights come on, dancing from old pinball machines, and shining from large metal boxes that hold arcade games. The ceiling of her establishment is covered in small white lights that shift through a variety of soft yellows and sleepy blues. Music that is not so much words as it is sounds follows suit, and it finally she is able to relax.

Her pride and joy must be the pool tables and dart boards she has collected over the years, taking refuge in the middle of the room across from a bar made of antique stools and a long sleek counter that was a plane wing at one point. She had taken the liberties to smooth the metal and keep its gunpowder sheen. The bar wall behind the counter was filled with knick knacks and figurines or collectables that guests would sometimes leave her in exchange for a drink. Komugi enjoyed collecting, if one couldn't tell by the artifacts on the bars walls. 

Dozens of images lay of places she had never seen, and tapestries of locations she had never been. One she particularly liked was a three foot scroll depicting a large building in the north called heavens arena. It was so tall the tip top of the tower touched the clouds and was almost hidden by them.  

Surrounding the images, twisted around hooks and ledges were plants that she had started to grow. Long, spiny succulent like plants that were twisted like vines covered the walls, wrapped around items that she had placed into their grasps. The plant species was far more sentiant then any of the ones she had in her greenhouses outside. They would move towards people, almost stretching out their leaves as if to get a touch of something warm. It was amusing in a sense, and always managed to make Komugi laugh when it terrified new visitors to her bar. Someone had defined her bar aesthetic as solarpunk, and despite not knowing what aesthetic meant (or solarpunk for that matter), Komugi figured that the glowing lights and the collection of mismatched and makeshift pieces of furniture could be viewed to be a little out of the norm. 

Moving past the pool tables and the old arcade games, she walks around the counter. Her counter. She enjoyed being what some would call a bartender. She felt that she was a little more of a jack of all trades. Not only could she pour a mean drink, but she was also a makeshift medic, and a pretty handy cook. Not to mention that she was skilled with mechanics and building. Hunting was more of a necessary task, and technology was a little out of her league, but she was getting better at it. Komugi had never seen some of the devices that had entered into her shop, and sometimes she would offer free drinks for the opportunity to learn more about the world of the online. 

She figured at some point she would have to get a computer or a device, but that would require a more stable source of electricity and something to plug it all into. Her arcade games were simple, as they were efficient. Slot, fighting games, and pinball. She enjoyed their feeling of nostalgia, despite never having grown up with them in her childhood.  

Her fingers push aside bottles of moonshine and homemade brew from their perch on the well. Making her own drinks was a skill she had picked up from a group of wanders who had taught her the art of fermenting fruit and vegetables for potent and drinkable alcohol. It had saved her a large amount of funds since Komugi was able to sell her own brew, which was hard to get in southern towns like the ones around her. 

Behind bottles lay jars of salves, potent medicine, and some more well desired herbs. Ignoring the ones that she would have used to help her relax, and found that many travelers would pay quite a jenny for a leaf that would induce a state of lethargy. Komugi was glad she lived so close to a blooming forest. 

Undoing the binds of bandage she had under her shirt, she revelaved a welt from a previous night of vigilante activity. Covering the wound with a peppermint smelling cream, the pain ebbed away until it was fully numb. She had to be careful with this. It was far too strong to be left on her fingers for long. 

She took precautions and dressed her other wounds, thinking for a moment of what she would do if she ever got hurt badly for any reason. She supposed she would have to deal with it. It wasn't like there was a doctor conveniently placed at the corner of the dirt road and the nearest cactus. 

She thought about companionship as well, especially since she refused to live in town for the reasons of wanting independence, but found that a difficult idea to swallow. Perhaps it was nerves of being betrayed or tricked, or maybe her throat was patched from last night's activities. 

She couldn't risk to be dehydrated. It was the deserts best killer, other than it's beasts that it.

Komugi made clear warnings for travellers to move by vehicle or by steed, just because of the magical beasts in the area that lived in the sands. Komugi had helped back in those days, which was actually how she had stumbled upon such an abandoned building to convert into her own. It was far away from the town that it became perfect for seclusion. Roads were in the process of being built now, seeing how the sand creatures did not like hard surfaces they couldn't burrow through, so only an honest to god fool would go off the path made of hard packed soil.

Komugi would worry about that a little later though. She was glad to have set up a hammock at the tail end of the bar, hidden by the plants that she adored for their playfulness. Placing her medical tools away, she quickly walked over to the corner of the building that was hidden by a vintage coin game and tapped her knuckle against the wall twice. The vines lying there moved slightly until the hammock was revealed. Dropping her weapons to the floor, she fell into the hammock quite easily. It was a wonder that the plants didn't try to reject her, simply content with their soft leaves resting against her skin, shielding her from the glow of lights overhead. 

She was almost asleep until something light fell onto her chest, and she had to sigh at the sight of her taverns only infestation. 

A large butterfly, black winged and sleek in its design, had a habit of clinging to the ceiling until she arrived home at night. The bug had been at first a nuisance that she had tried to kill, but had grown to appreciate for its subtle beauty. For as long as she had lived here, the butterfly had been a resident. Every three or four months he would leave, returning the next night a little smaller. She wondered it was the same butterfly, because his size was always much smaller but his colours and rainbow pattern on his inner wings were always the same. 

Because of that, she had taken to naming the creature Shaiapouf, because he was meek in front of guests, and seemed to always disappear. 

“Yes, Pouf, I'm back.” Komugi greets, ignoring how the butterfly the size of her hands placed side by side would look at her with what she could only imagine as distaste. 

His front legs taped at her chest impatiently, as his fore wings fluttered with a nervous air to them. 

Sighing, she stretches out a hand and lets him cling to her fingers. 

“I'm fine. Youpi was there, and we managed to kill most of those monstrosities. I just...want to sleep for a little bit. Wake me up at 11, would ya?” Komugi yawns. 

Pouf, for all his insect qualities, was slightly more aware than what she could have ever expected. The insect was timely in a way, and could sense when she was jaded or exhausted. 

Pouf flutters but does not leave, his tongue reach out to smell the air around him. Peppermint no doubt. 

“I'll be fine. I bandaged the wounds and they weren't serious.” 

He walks onto her neck, his wings hitting her cheek before he retreats to the ceilings above the lights. 

He must have not believed her. Oh well. It wasn't necessarily a lie but not a full truth either. She just needed rest. Feeling the vines curl around her fingers, sleep takes her, and finally she could leave last night's journey behind her. 

It was only four hours later that she felt something on her face, and Pouf batting his wings so he could wake her. It had felt like no time had passed at all, despite noticing the plant having now grasped her fully. She was sure if she stayed like this for a week she would be cocooned by their vines and trapped, but once she shifted the plant retreated and released her without needing to be prodded. 

She was sure if it wasn't her, they wouldn't be so docile. 

“Komugi, we’re heading out!” a man's voice yells, him and his party walking in with their bags and gear. 

Jumping to her feet, the vines quickly grab her weapons, hiding them in their greenery. That was where she hid everything, in case anyone was interested to pry. 

“You four ready to go through the forest to the great beyond.” She yawns, fixing her hair and placing it into a bun on the top of her head. “I heard the path should be clear now, but make sure you don't leave the main route through. There are signs to lead you safely through.” 

The group of men smile and shake her hand, eagerly ready for their journey as they take their horses from the stables. With a wave and a yell of best wishes, Komugi grins as the group ventures into the distance and towards the forest. It was nice to see new people, and wished them the best on their trip north. It was a hard one to make, but they were determined. She had done her best for them. 

Youpi ambles out of the stable, having slept enough for him to be ready for a days worth of running. It seemed that his stamina was endless, as was his energy. 

Pouf flutters out from the Inn, landing on Komugi's bun, which causes Youpi to stamp a foot in agitation. 

“Play nice,” Komugi huffs, moving to lock up the stable and grab the cart that Youpi would have to pull. With him being so large, she had to modify it so the wheels were larger and the cart sat higher or he would break it as he ran. 

Grabbing water cantines and a sack of Jenny's that she had collected from the group of men yesterday morning, it was simply a matter of mentally preparing herself for the two hour ride south of her inn. Sure there were closer towns, but she liked to divide her attention, and funds, to each of them. Plus, it gave her an insight on what was happening at each. The four towns local to her had elegant names, she was sure, but she often preferred their slang names. 

Spinach, Kofe, RedRush, and her favourite Litty. 

Thirty minutes east and she would come upon the rich green pastures of Spinach, a place where the soil turned green and the sand was more salvageable to grow crops. Forty minutes west and Kofe had the mountain view that made it worth visiting. Especially seeing how the desert heat never affected the town, so the livestock was well grown and often overpopulated by young families looking for a place to raise their children. RedRush was an hour south, known as such because the heat was often was made the travel unbearable. Through the hottest part of the desert, the only redeeming quality of the town was it's natural springs. They had water that flowed from an underground canal, making it a destination for markets and sellers to be held. Farther south than that was Litty, which was a bigger city but far poorer. Old casinos and rundown buildings that were ten stories high covered the city. The mafia had owned it at one point, leaving once meteor city, probably 1 or 2 days south of Litty, had become desolate. The only people who remembered Meteor were its inhabitants. But even then it was scarce. These towns existed on no official maps, just the hand drawn ones that sellers provided. Komugi had one hanging in her room, right on the ceiling. 

She liked Litty because it was considered to be a party town, but it had ample supplies and those with a weak stomach often stayed away. Komugi enjoyed a little thrill now and then. Plus, Youpi was ready to burn off energy, and what better way to do that then a run through the desert. 

She sighs and grabs her black scarf, wrapping her head and protecting her face from the sun. With her gun and machete strapped to body under her loose shirt, she had to practically yell at Pouf to stay inside. 

“I'll be back later tonight. Watch the place for me.”

The insect attempted escape, wanting to come with, but eventually gave up at her stubbornness. Locking up the inn, she usually had patrons around five or six pm, meaning she had the afternoon to travel, and time to sleep. 

Getting into the cart, she places the tarp over the wooden frame, secluding herself within. Youpi was easy to hook up to the cart, but refused to have any piece of metal in his mouth or anywhere on his face. That was fine. He knew the way to the four towns quite well. He had a better memory than her sometimes. 

Closing her eyes, not that Komugi could truly get any sleep while Youpi darted forward at a breakneck speed, leaving her inn behind her, she often had the same restless thoughts. 

Komugi couldn't help but feel that she had forgotten something important a long time ago. Being caught up in the adventures of daily life had been a great distraction for what was essentially looming details of a thought unfinished. Of a dream she was trying to recall where she felt very much different, and almost exactly the same. It was a feeling that was only strengthened when Youpi or Pouf graced her with their presence, the attachment she felt to them upon first meeting was surprising and unfounded, but she couldn’t bring herself to let either go. 

Perhaps it was her loneliness that made her feel like this. But was she ever truly lonely? She felt that she had ample company. She was well adored by her patrons and often welcomed with open arms by the regulars in their respective towns. She wasn't a hermit by any means. She was quite charismatic if one was able to appeal to her tastes. That, and she could hold a drink with the rest of them, which made her well admired within any bar. 

She was always hungry for information. It was her only true weakness. That was probably why she also made the journey to meteor city every few weeks. There was something there that unsettled her. She recalled a mountain composed of burnt material that claimed it like webbing that had stood there for just under 30 years, a relic of a past that the citizens did not want to recall. She could never learn anything about th3 account, other then that when it had first appeared, many graves had been created then. A genocide perhaps? She hated to think of it. 

Thoughts nagged and nagged at her. A wasted effort but one that was probably telling her that she should slow her pace. 

She was Komugi, but that was it. Her last name and her story were up to interpretation. She wondered what kind of life she could have lived if not this one. Her eyes glance towards the open sky, a white that hurt her eyes if she stared at it too long. Not even a single cloud in the sky, and yet the heat was unbearably humid now. It was probably why she preferred nights. Youpi didn't seem bothered. Even as the sun grew higher, and they passed the town of RedRush (after getting water for the trip and a well needed break), they continued forward until they had crossed the desert and the tall buildings that were developments never finished came into view. 

Their large concrete bodies blocked the sun and the relief it granted was indescribable. However, the heat within the city that came with dead air was another nuisance all together. Slowing their sprint to a trot, new faces gazed upon the two wanders, specifically on the large horse that blew a breath at anyone who moved too close for comfort. Overprotective and agitated by the slow in pace, Komugi jumped out the back of the cart and removed her headscarf. Perhaps they would make this visit a quick one. The sky had shifted into a light grey colour, which warned of an incoming storm. When it rained, it poured. She figured she had four hours until they would be caught in the heart of it. 

They would be fine. She had full confidence in their journey back. 

“Yo, Moog,” someone yells out at a sellers stall, flagging her down. “Nice to see you back in these parts!” 

She grins and throws up a hand, “I came here for some goods, ya know, the usual!” 

“Well you are one of my best customers. Maybe I could interest you in something a little more white than your usual medicines?” 

Komugi resists the urge to role her eyes, “Tempting, but I like to keep my nose clean.” She winks. No point being rude. That was bad business practice, and the old geezer had pretty good greens for somewhere so far from Spinach. 

“Alright, I’ll grab the other keeps and fill the cart with your buys.” 

A woman running her own shop that specializes in luxury food items lifts and hand, and Komugi tosses her a bag of Jenny's. 

“Thanks, doll, pleasure doing business.” 

“I only come back to you because your sweets are to die for.” Komugi beams. 

Youpi, freed from the cart, makes his way towards the stalls and takes ownership of the creatures there. They will not dare fight him, because it is not worth them losing their lives. 

Komugi, having full faith in him, leaves her cart to be filled by the vendors. They wouldn't be so ignorant as to jip her in fear of losing her business. She stocked up well, and often enough that shopkeepers of this barren city would be overjoyed to take her to their own shops. She did like an excellent deal. Feed for animals was always a nuisance to store, so she had to get food that would last any creature in her care a while. 

“Going to the locale?” a woman purrs, clinging to Komugi's arm, despite it being one in the afternoon, the nightlife was a twenty four hour occurrence. Gambling and shoddy business was done in broad daylight. There was no one to state otherwise. 

Granting the woman a smile, Komugi shifts her gun on her back. “I do like the thrill of the City's best Pastels.” She beams, referring to the strong elixirs that that towns most violent, and often criminal infested bars had to offer. It took a certain type of person to frequent a bar like that. 

She was fond of the bartenders, however, a mixed hybrid of a duo that she had learned were part human and part chimera. Brushing off the woman on her arm, she turns towards a rundown bank and makes her way to the back. The building had been robbed a long time ago, and it's massive basement was made into a top selling booze snooze. There were pastel dealers throughout the bar as well, but she wasn't a fan of anything illegal. Sure there was no one to monitor it, but she had somewhat of a moral code. 

“Like oh my god! Mugi! I'm so glad to see you!” a woman with soft golden locks and a chest of light brown hair grins happily. “Been too long, honey! Bloster! Yo! Look who's here, ya lobster.” 

Hina rushes over, grinning and laughing as she grabs Komugi's hand. The two women had bonded over mutual distaste of anything overly aggressive, seeing how Komugi had stopped a bar fight once, and Hina had thanked her with drinks on the house the entire night.”

Bloster, a large blue human shaped creature that could only be described as the lobster Hina was so adamant to remind him he was, cracks a glass in his grip. “Damnit Hina, everytime!”

Hina snickers, dancing around shady customers with ease. “But who else will tease you if it isn't me? I'm doing you a great service! Oh! You should get Mugi a drink. Yes! On the house of course, baby!” 

Komugi shyly grins, her mood uplifted by Hina’s eagerness. She did like the duo. Bloster was always happy to serve her, and share bartending tips, as well as any juicy gossip.

The bar itself was generic. Dark. Filled with smoke. It reeked of the bittersweet smell of pastel. Everyone was blitzed, or at least most of the patrons here were. Their eyes were glossed and their lips curled into smiles that seemed too wild. 

“How goes the business.” Bloster asks, sliding Komugi over a glass of amber liquid. A concoction of sorts. 

He and Hina were well aware of Komugi's exploits. 

She couldn't help but laugh, “I'm still alive, aren't I?”

“So fiesty!” Hina says coyly, pawing at Komugis arm. “So! When do you plan on selling your big, mean looking horse to me and Blow here? I know we can make a pretty penny.”

“It’s not Blow!” Bloster snaps.  He ignores them to tend to the bar, but listens intently. 

They asked her this every time.

“Tempting, but I'm gonna hold onto him. You should retire the question, or at least thing of something more creative.” Komugi barks out, taking a gulp of her drink, tasting the bitterness of a herb she was often unfond of. It was a mood alter, that made one desire alcohol more. A clever ploy to get patrons to spend more Jenny's.

Hinas doing, no doubt. 

“Aww phooey, you're no fun Mugi.” 

“Spare me the dramatics. Any info about these beasts? I know you know something.” Komugi points at Hina, who only smiles sweetly. 

“You give me too much credit, sweetie!” 

Bloster gags, “you're barking up the wrong tree, Mugi. Try that group of Joe blows at the end of the counter. I'd warn ya to stay away, but we both know ya wouldn't.” 

Komugi offers a wink, “Well at least we're on the same page.” 

“Long as you're good company, i'll stick my neck out for you.”

Hina laughs, “what neck could you possibly have!” 

“I'll crush you!” Bloster hisses.

“Don't you mean claw!” 

Komugi eyes the end of the bar where Bloster had mentioned, seeing a group of men and women crowded at tables and standing against the wall. It was best to ignore Bloster and Hina when they fought.

“Didn't you hear? This things been messing up towns left, right and center. Things not even a magical beast, well, it could be.” A man rambles to his group, throwing back another shot. 

Komugi nurses her drink, never liking to be intoxicated in Litty because it was too easy for the bartender to spike her with something destined to give her a headache the next morning. Not that Bloster would, but anyone else would do it in a heartbeat. That, and Youpi never liked staying in one place for long. He was a fan of the attention by foreigners, surly, but the enthusiasm wore off quite quickly as he became hungry for something more than simple feed. Not to say he was a meat eater by any means, but he was not afraid to nip off a few fingers as he waited for some hard to obtain vegetable to be thrown in his direction. 

“Any idea what it looked like? What it could do?” Komugi asks, her eyes now focused solely on this conversation. Sure they didn't want her to be involved, but she had no shame to put her two cents in. 

The man and his group peer over at her. “Now why would a lady like yourself wanna know about a creature like this? You're better off staying the night just in case.” He rubs his chin. 

The sound of ice clinking in her glass is her only response. She motions him to continue. 

“You asked for it.” He looks to the bartender, wanting another drink. Bloster lifts a claw, as to flip him off. The man growls. “Things got lots of limbs, people who've seen it thought it was one of those old beasts that use to be in the cities, but we got rid of them. It's bigger too. Smarter. Got something against somebody. Maybe it's looking for whoever killed the lot of em. Some others been sayin theres some reckless bastard throwing themselves into fights killing the rotten demons. I say good on them.” 

Komugi humms, taking in the information. Sounded like something she should follow up. 

“Any others or is it just the one?” She questions. 

“Why you wanna know that too? One is bad enough…” his friend shrugs. The woman isn't interested, but can't help but watch Komugi. 

“That's none of your business.” Komugi says with a half smile, acting coy. She throws a handful of Jenny onto the table, “the rounds on me.” 

Surprised shouts of joy erupt at the bar, and even the bartender looks floored. Unwarranted generosity is not a common thing in these parts. Bloster shakes his head, wondering if she was trying to start a riot or something with how eager everyone was acting. 

As Komugi stands to go, she finishes her drink in one gulp and winks at Bloster. She was sure to hear about this when she came back a few weeks later. Her name always seemed to be on the lips of strangers. She couldn't help it. Money really was no object. 

“Heading back so soon?” Hina whines, balancing shot glasses on a tray with her thumb. The woman was surprisingly talented. Stronger than she looked and more resilient than Komugi herself. 

“Can't you smell It?” Komugi whispers, “There's trouble in the air.”

“You’re one to talk.” Bloster says as his eyes roll, but Komugi can't help but laugh. Hina was a brat, and wanted all the attention. 

“You better stay the night next time! Or else I'll eat you.” Hina threatens, and Komugi knows that it's best not to egg the woman on. Who knows, maybe the woman's pointed teeth could devour skin. What a thought that was. 

Conceding, Komugi makes arrangements to return in two weeks time for a stay of over three days. She figured she could at least gamble and bring Pouf, so he wasn't wondering where she went for such a long time. It would also give her a chance to hit the underground market and trade off her medicines for more sturdy materials. Maybe even some outdated technology. She had heard great things about computers, and a website that was only designated to a species of human called hunters. Komugi wasn't sure what the title meant, but was interested to know. 

Waving off the odd duo, even with Bloster chuckling at Hina’s huffing, at least she was well stocked and ready to go. 

Well, all for one thing. Cracking a smile, she stares at a gentleman covered with a face scarf, the only thing Komugi could see being the smooth brown skin of his arms in a sleeveless crop top, or the black tattoos that ran over his skin looking like spirals and lines. But what bothered her most was how intently his light purple eyes watched her, trying to eat up every ounce and commit it to memory. 

“Take a picture, it’ll last longer!” Komugi jeers. She had people looking at her ever since she had started the inn and made a name for herself. 

Hina howl's with laughter as Komugi pushes her way through the crowd and back to the surface. The heat was denser, but the scent of sweetness was finally gone which relaxed her. She grew up with natural smells. Artificial concoctions always threw off her nose. 

“Wait.” A smooth voice calls out, the same purple eyed gentleman now following her. “Who are you?”

Komugi shrugs off his advances, “ask around, wanderer, because clearly you're not from here if you've never heard my name.”

Komugi whistles sharply and Youpi shoots into sight, his hooves and lips covered in blood. Clearly there had been a fight. In a moment Komugi is on his back, riding away from the bewildered man, and takes no more than a few moments to attach her cart to Youpi and thank the vendors before leaving Litty.


End file.
